Few fantasy series have captured readers' imaginations quite like Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses. Since Feyre Archeron first stumbled into the treacherous, beautiful world of Prythian, the saga has become a cultural phenomenon, single-handedly propelling the romantasy genre into the mainstream. What's even more remarkable is that the series' popularity has only grown during a five-year gap between releases. The last book, A Court of Silver Flames, came out in 2021, and fans have been eagerly awaiting the next chapter ever since.
That wait finally ended this month with the release of A Court of Splintered Harmony, the sixth book in the series. The story picks up with Prythian on the brink of another devastating war, one with stakes that reach far beyond the borders of the faerie realm. It's the continuation fans have desperately craved, but the ending leaves plenty of threads dangling, making it clear that this is only part of a larger tale.
Fortunately, readers won't have to endure another long drought. Sarah J. Maas has already completed the next installment, and it's arriving much sooner than you might expect.
'A Court of Forgotten Melody' Is Almost Here
The seventh ACOTAR book is titled A Court of Forgotten Melody, and it serves as a direct sequel to A Court of Splintered Harmony. Maas originally conceived these two books as a single story, but the narrative was too expansive to fit into one volume. So she split it into two parts, writing them together to ensure a seamless transition.
Because the manuscript was finished before the previous book even hit shelves, there's no need for a lengthy wait. The release dates were announced together, with just three months between them. A Court of Forgotten Melody is set to arrive on January 12, 2027, keeping the momentum going and ensuring the hype doesn't fizzle out.
This rapid-fire release strategy is becoming more common in publishing. Author Matt Dinniman is doing something similar with the final two books in his popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series, releasing them in quick succession to keep readers engaged.
What's Next for ACOTAR?
Maas has revealed that the current arc of the ACOTAR saga is a four-part story she calls The Valkyrie Cycle. These four parts, which she refers to as "movements," are being spread across three books, telling one cohesive narrative.
A Court of Splintered Harmony contains Movement I of The Valkyrie Cycle. A Court of Forgotten Melody, which will be a significantly longer book, encompasses both Movement II and Movement III. Maas has confirmed that the eighth book in the series will contain Movement IV, bringing this particular story arc to a close.
So fans know there's at least one more installment coming, and it will wrap up the story currently unfolding. However, there's no release date for that eighth book yet. When the two new books were announced earlier this year, Maas admitted she hadn't started writing the eighth novel, so it could be a while before we see how it all concludes.
For those who have already devoured A Court of Splintered Harmony and are looking for more fantasy thrills, check out our list of fast-paced miniseries to tide you over. And if you're a fan of sequels that surpass their originals, you might enjoy our roundup of sequels that outshadowed their originals.
